Asian immigration to Hawaii

Most early Asian settlers to the United States went to Hawaii. Most of these early immigrants were imported to the islands as laborers to work on the pineapple, coconut, and sugarcane plantations. These early migrants have tended to stay, although a handful returned to their home countries. There has also been recent immigration to Hawaii from more ethnic Asian groups, including the Thai, Indonesian, and the Vietnamese.

Filipinos

Filipinos, like most other East Asian immigrants to Hawaii, worked on the sugar plantations. In 2010, Filipinos surpassed Japanese as the largest ethnic group. At the time of the 2000 census, they were the third largest ethnic group in the islands.

Japanese

Until 2010, people of Japanese ancestry made up the majority of Hawaii's population. After the breakout of World War II, most Japanese adult males in Hawaii were interned and sent to the deserts on the mainland, while Japanese Americans on the mainland received the same treatment, but this also included women and children.

Korean

Koreans mainly came to the islands to work on the pineapple and sugar plantations, but a few, including the family of Mary Paik Lee, came to the mainland (usually California) after experiencing extreme discrimination.

Chinese

The Chinese discovered the Hawaiian islands in 1778; the same year as English explorer James Cook. A few also came to the islands among the crew of James Cook. Today, some Chinese born on the islands can claim to be seventh generation.

Indians

People of Indian origin did not come to Hawaii in sizable numbers, and those who did not stay for long. Many early Indian immigrants stopped in Hawaii only to make enough money to sail on to the mainland anywhere from the mid to late 1800's to the 1900's.

A notable Indian in Hawaii was Dalip Singh Samra, who on September 13, 1910, arrived in Honolulu from his home village in Punjab, India at the age of 14. He labored in the sugarcane fields for about two months to earn enough money to continue on to California. On November 18, 1910, he arrived on Angel Island. At one point, Samra was the nation's largest celery grower.

See also

• Filipino American - the same ethnic group, but this also includes other areas of the United States.
• Japanese American - the same ethnic group, but this also includes other areas of the United States.
• Korean American - the same ethnic group, but this also includes other areas of the United States.
• Chinese American - the same ethnic group, but this also includes other areas of the United States.
• Asian American - the immigration of all the people of the continent of Asia to the United States.
• Asian Canadian - the immigration of all the people of the continent of Asia to Canada.
• Asian Pacific American - a category that applies both to Pacific Islander American, and Asian Americans.
• Asian Latin American - the immigration of all the people of the continent of Asia to Central America, South America, and Mexico.
• Indians in Fiji - the importation of Indians to the Fiji Islands to labor on its sugar plantations.
• Filipino immigration to Mexico - the immigration of Filipinos to the country of Mexico.
• Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico - the immigration of the Chinese to the present day U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

References

• Fry, Kathie. "Chinese Immigration to Hawaii" (reprint). Hawaii for Visitors. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
• Chang, Roberta; Wayne Patterson (2003). The Koreans in Hawaiʻi: A Pictorial History 1903-2003. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-2664-7.
• McKeown, Adam (2001). Chinese Migrant Networks and Cultural Change: Peru, Chicago, Hawaii, 1900-1936. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-56024-3.
• Gutierrez, Ben (2011). "Filipinos Now Second-Largest Racial Group in Hawaii" (reprint). Hawaii News Now. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
• Samra Family. "From Punjab, India to Angel Island" (reprint). Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Retrieved 2013-03-16.